North Shore Nine

On this episode of Starbucs from North Shore Nine, Jim and DiNardo dive into the aftermath of the MLB Winter Meetings and analyze the Pirates’ decision-making. They start with the Enmanuel Valdez trade, critiquing it as another underwhelming depth move, questioning the team’s repeated acquisition of fringe middle infielders.

The hosts then shift focus to reports that Mitch Keller and Jared Jones are available for trade, potentially signaling the Pirates’ intention to free up payroll. Jim and DiNardo call for the team to spend more aggressively. They argue this is the perfect time to build around stars like Paul Skenes and move beyond “vacuum” moves that leave the team lacking impact players. Their message is clear: the Pirates must invest in winning now.